Apparatus for pumping a fluid fed thereto by gravity



April 1, 1969 a. OSTROFSKY ET AL 3,435,776

APPARATUS FOR.PUMPING A FLUID FED THEHETO BY GRAVITY Original Filed n c.z1, 1963- v Ill! Fig. I

Fig. 4

l2 2/ A A INVENTORS. Bernard Osfrofsky Jack N. Bergman United StatesPatent 3,435,776 APPARATUS FOR PUMPING A FLUID FED THERETO BY GRAVITYBernard Ostrofsky, Gary, and Jack N. Bergman, Hammond, Ind., assignorsto Standard Oil Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of IndianaOriginal application Dec. 31, 1963, Ser. No. 334,773, now Patent No.3,315,521, dated Apr. 25, 1967. Divided and this application Feb. 8,1967, Ser. No. 614,645

Int. Cl. F04b 21/04 US. Cl. 103188 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apumping apparatus which has a first cylindrical tube having aspring-loaded, concentric, reciprocally-moving appendage at one endthereof and a second cylindrical tu-be located at the opposite endthereof. The cylindrical tubes are perpendicular to one another and arejoined so that fluid may flow serially therethrough. The open end ofeach tube is sealed by a spring-loaded check valve. The application offorce to the appendage closes the check valve in the second cylindricaltube, compresses the fluid in both tubes, and opens the check valve inthe appendage forcing fluid out of a pro-directed nozzle in theappendage.

Cross references to related applications This is a division ofapplication Ser. No. 334,773, filed Dec. 31, 1963 and issued on Apr. 25,1967, as US. 3,315,521.

Background of the invention The invention pertains to dispensing meanswherein a piston having a reciprocating motion operates in a casingwhich receives material from a supply container so that motion of thepiston applies pressure to the material to cause discharge. Theinvention pertains also to dispensing means wherein a pressure-movedelement is of tubular form and through which the material is dispensedand which pressure-moved element is slideable along its axis. Thereciprocating valve in the outlet is caused to return to its initialposition by means of a spring.

Summary of the invention The present invention relates to an apparatusfor pumping fluid which is being fed to the apparatus by gravity. Moreparticularly, it relates to a pumping device which may be used todispense couplant between a transducing means and the surface of anarticle being inspected ultrasonically by the transducing means.

This apparatus for pumping can be used with various forms of transducersystems and configurations. It can be used to deliver couplants otherthan oil. It may be adapted for use with automated inspection systems.It also may be used suitably in automatic lubrication systems. It can beused for controlled, metered, or measured additions of any liquid toeither a batch or a continuous process. This pumping apparatus can beadapted easily by a simple mechanical arrangement to any use whereperiodic or programmed additions of liquid are required.

Briefly, the pumping apparatus of this invention comprises a firstcylindrical tube having a concentric movable appendage at one of itsends, a second cylindrical tube located at the opposite end of the firstcylindrical tube, and a nozzle extending from the movable appendage at,an angle and comprising an outlet for the apparatus. The movableappendage moves reciprocally in the first cylindrical tube as force isapplied and removed at the free end of the appendage. The appendage isspring loaded. The second cylindrical tube has its longitudinal3,435,776 Patented Apr. 1, 1969 axis perpendicular to and intersectingthe longitudinal axis of the first cylindrical tube. The first end ofthe second cylindrical tube has an inlet for the pumping apparatus andthe opposite end is sealed. The inlet is sealed by a spring-loaded checkvalve. The outlet for the apparatus is sealed b a spring-loaded checkvalve and the angle at which the nozzle is extended from the movableappendage is such as to direct fluid to a desired point.

This pumping apparatus may be used advantageously in a transducerholding device which permits by ultrasonic methods the rapid andconvenient measurement of the thickness of inaccessible objects and thedetection of defects in such objects. In using such a transducer holdingdevice in the testing of a material for defects or the measuring of thethickness of an object, the transducer being held by the holding deviceis applied to the accessible surface of the object being inspected. Acouplant is applied to the interface between the surface of thetransducer and the surface of the object under inspection. The couplantmay be any liquid with the proper acoustical character, e.g., motor oilor glycerine. The couplant is required to provide proper acoustictransfer from the transducer to the material being tested. The couplantalso reduces the rapid excesssive wear of the crystal face of thetransduced as it is moved into contact with and across the surface to betested. The pumping apparatus of the present invention is a means fordispensing the couplant between the face of the transducer and thesurface being examined.

Brief description of the drawings The structure and use of thisinvention will be more fully understood with reference to the attacheddrawings. In these drawings, the pumping apparatus is used in atransducer holding device, the subject of the parent application, SN.334,773.

FIGURE 1 presents an elevational view of a transducer holding deviceemploying the pumping apparatus of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 shows an elevational view of the transducer holding deviceemploying the pumping apparatus of the present invention, wherein thedetachable handle has been removed.

FIGURE 3 presents a plan view of the transducer holding device employingthe pumping apparatus of the present invention, wherein the magnet ofthe transducer holding device is connected to the surface of anextrinsic object under investigation. The solid lines show the apparatuswhen the pumping device is touching the object. The dotted linesrepresent that part of the apparatus that can be removed from thesurface of the object when that part is not touching the extrinsicobject.

FIGURE 4 presents an enlarged secondary view of Section AA of thepumping apparatus of the present invention.

Description of a preferred embodiment With reference to FIGURES 1, 2,and 3, the pumping means 12 is shown securely fastened to the top ofplate 11, which is connected to the base of reservoir 10. The plane ofplate 11 is perpendicular to the axis of reservoir 10. The pumpingapparatus 12 is securely fastened to the top of plate 11 by clamp 13.Transducer holder 14 is connected on the underside of plate 11 directlybelow the pumping apparatus 12. Therefore, the reservoir 10, the pumpingapparatus 12, transducer holder 14, and plate 11 are joined such thatthey move as a unit. In FIGURE 1, the flexible portion of the detachablehandle, flexible tube 16, is shown connected to a stud which extendsfrom one end of reservoir 10 and is concentric to reservoir 10. The studis clearly shown in FIGURE 2 as element 15. A straight, non-flexibleportion is not shown 3 in FIGURE 1 and is connected to the free end 17of flexible tube 16. This nonflexible rod is available to use thisdevice to reach a particular spot on the object being inspected.

The second holding means 18 is comprised of plate 19 and bushing 20.Plate 19 is connected to the back of magnet 21, which holds thetransducer holding apparatus to the surface 22 of the object that isunder study. Bushing 20 is slipped over stud 15 and is located justbelow the base of reservoir 10. Bushing 20 is free to rotate about thecommon axis of stud 15 and reservoir The design of this transducerholding apparatus is such that any other part of the apparatus that isnot directly or indirectly connected to this second holding means 18 canbe rotated about the common axis of reservoir 10 and stud without movingthe second holding means 18, of which bushing is a part. For example, ifthe handle, composed of the flexible tube 16 and the non-flexible rod(not shown), is rotated in a clockwise direction while magnet 21 is heldagainst the surface of a stationary object, the assembly of reservoir10, plate 11, pumping apparatus 12 and transducer holder 14 will berotated about the common axis of reservoir 10 and stud 15 in a clockwisedirection.

The pumping apparatus of the present invention, that is, the pumpingapparatus 12 or couplant dispenser 12, is equipped with a movable headassembly, which comprises a head 23 and an associated neck 24. When head23 is pressed against an object, the head 23 and neck 24 are forcedtoward the body of dispenser 12. The couplant within dispenser 12 iscompressed. With reference to FIGURE 4, valve 25 is closed and valve 26is forced open. Couplant is ejected from the dispenser 12 through nozzle27. Nozzle 27 extends from dispenser head 23 downward and in such adirection as to have the line of its longitudinal axis pass through thevertical axis of transducer face 34 when the head 23 and neck 24 havebeen forced toward the body 12 of the dispenser. When the nozzle 27 isin such a position, couplant will be ejected from the nozzle 27 onto thesurface of the object above the center of the transducer face so that itwill flow down the surface of the object between the object and thetransducer face. Valve 26 closes as spring 28 quickly overcomes thereduced pressure of the couplant. When the dispenser 12 and its movablehead 23 are withdrawn from the object, spring 29 forces the neck 24 andhead 23 to return to their original positions. Spring 30 opens valve 25and couplant is permitted to flow by gravity sequentially from reservoir10 through permanent line 31 and rubber tube 32 into the body ofdispenser 12. When the head 23 is again forced against an object, theabove functioning is repeated and couplant is ejected from nozzle 27.

The person using this apparatus to inspect the surface of some object,hereinafter referred to as the tester, takes the transducer-holderassembly, which contains the transducer 33, and places the magnet 21against the particular surface of the object to be inspected. Magnet 21holds the assembly against the ferrous surface 22 of the object. Theshape of the magnet should be adapted to conform to the surface of theobject. If the surface is not ferrous, other suitable means, such as asuction cup, may be used to hold the assembly to the object. The testerthen rotates the non-flexible rod (not shown) in a clockwise direction.This causes the couplant dispenser 12 and its movable head 23, thetransducer holder 14, the transducer 33, and the connecting plate 11 tomove toward the object being inspected. The movable head 23 of thecouplant dispenser 12 comes into contact with the surface 22 of theobject. The plunger valve action of the dispenser, the pumping apparatusof the present invention, as it is being pressed against the objectcauses couplant to be ejected from nozzle 27. The transducer face 34then makes contact with the object and the measurement is made. Afterthe measurement is completed, the nonfiexible rod (not shown) is rotatedin a counter-clockwise direction far enough to remove the transducerface 34 and dispenser head 23 from the surface 22 of the object. Theentire assembly is then slid across the surface 22 of the object to thenext point to be measured. Again the tester rotates the non-flexible rodin a clockwise direction so that the couplant dispenser head 23 makescontact with the surface 22 of the object, couplant is ejected fromnozzle 27 and the transducer face 34 is permitted to contact the surface22. The measurement is obtained and the procedure is repeated until allof the desired points of interest on the object have been investigated.The flexible section 16, which connects the rod (not shown) to the stud15 of the assembly, permits the rod to be held at any necessary anglewhile the transducer face is maintained in a position against theobject. Such a feature can be seen to permit flexibility and ease ofhandling.

From this example, it is clearly seen that such a pumping apparatus canbe used conveniently in inspection systems. It is also seen that such apumping apparatus can be used advantageously in an application whereperiodic or programmed additions of liquid are required.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus to pump a fluid being fed to said apparatus by gravity,said apparatus comprising a first cylindrical tube having a concentricmovable appendage at a first end thereof, said appendage movingreciprocally in said first cylindrical tube as force is applied andremoved at the free end of said appendage, said appendage beingspring-loaded, a second cylindrical tube located at theopposite end ofsaid first cylindrical tube and having its longitudinal axisperpendicular to and intersecting the longitudinal axis of said firstcylindrical tube, said cylindrical tubes having their interiors joinedand adapted for the flow of fluid serially therethrough, the first endof said cylindrical tube having an inlet for said apparatus and theopposite end being sealed, said inlet being sealed by a firstspring-loaded check valve, said first springloaded check valve beingnormally in an open position to permit the flow of fluid from said inletinto said second cylindrical tube, and a nozzle extending from saidappendage at an angle and comprising an outlet for said apparatus, saidoutlet being sealed by a second springloaded check valve and said anglebeing such as to direct fluid to a desired point, said secondspring-loaded check valve being normally in a closed position to preventthe flow of fluid from said outlet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,022,584 11/ 1935 Boyett 103-1782,078,483 4/1937 DeWeal et a1. 10 3-188 2,334,383 11/1943 Carr et al.103-178 2,360,648 10/1944 Copeland et a1. 103-189 2,514,421 7/1950 Simir 103-178 2,622,539 12/1952 Martin 103-178 2,657,834 1-1/1953 Bacheller103-189 2,884,093 4/1959 Stewart 103-178 FOREIGN PATENTS 229,718 10/1963 Austria.

WILLIAM L. FREEH, Primary Examiner.

